Africa-Press – Kenya. Declaration of a record interim dividend of Sh0.85 by Kenya’s biggest telco, Safaricom, pushed the Nairobi Securities Exchange to its highest-ever valuation, with investors gaining Sh63 billion.
That figure is a 54.5 per cent rise compared to the dividend declared in the same period in the previous financial year, a move that pulled liquidity back into equities.
Total market capitalisation closed at an all-time high of Sh3.2 trillion on Wednesday, delivering one of its largest single-day wealth gains in recent months and lifting all major benchmarks to new highs.
Safaricom shares rose 4.41 per cent to Sh31.95 after touching Sh32.50 intraday, the highest level since August 11, 2022.
The stock dominated trading, with 19.2 million shares worth Sh614.1 million, or 47.5 per cent of total equity turnover.
The jump in Safaricom accounted for the bulk of the increased investors’ wealth on Wednesday.
At the close, the firm was valued at Sh1.279 trillion based on 40.065 billion outstanding shares at an exchange rate of 129.02.
The dividend will be payable to shareholders listed on the company’s Register of Members as at the close of business on February 25, 2026. Payments are expected on or about March 31, 2026.
In November 2025, Safaricom recorded solid growth across key business areas for the first six months of the financial year.
The telco’s service revenue rose 11.1 per cent to Sh200 billion, driven mainly by continued expansion in mobile money and data services.
Net income climbed 52.1 per cent year over year, supported by tighter cost controls and higher customer usage.
During the week, pensioners saving with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) received the highest-ever interest of 17 per cent on their savings for the financial year ended June 30, 2025, up from 11 per cent last year.
The declaration — which will directly boost retirement savings for millions of Kenyan workers — reflects the fund’s robust performance and expanding asset base.
The news was announced at the fund’s 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Nairobi on Friday.
The NSE All Share Index (NASI) rose 3.94 points to 202.31, its first-ever close above 200 since its launch in 2008.
At the close of the week, all indices blinked green, with NASI, NSE 25 and NSE 20 share price indices increasing by 3.72 per cent, 2.45 per cent and 1.37 per cent, respectively, during the week ending February 5.
Market capitalisation increased by 3.73 per cent, while equity turnover and total shares traded decreased by 0.68 per cent and 9.74 per cent, respectively.
Apart from Safaricom, Standard Media Limited, Carbacid, Nairobi Business Ventures, Home Afrika and Total saw their share prices command the top-gaining list for the week.
In the money market, the Treasury Bill auction of February 5 received bids totalling Sh64.3 billion against an advertised amount of Sh24 billion, representing a performance of 267.9 per cent.
This is despite interest rates on the 91-day, 182-day and 364-day Treasury Bills declining as the government targets longer maturities to ease debt repayment pressure.
Bond turnover in the domestic secondary market decreased by 5.14 per cent to Sh64.1 billion compared to Sh67.6 billion reported in the previous week.
In the international market, yields on Kenya’s Eurobonds decreased by 3.65 basis points on average, attributed to fair credit ratings by Moody’s, S&P and Fitch.
